After picking up the sixth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, the chance to play on a nationally-ranked tennis team is hard to pass up.

“We have had a really great start to the season, getting our first national ranking since 2006, and things are really looking up for us,” Sullivan said.

“It’s exciting to have a great foundation of high-character individuals that really do want to be great.”

Sullivan said he is looking at work ethic, attitude and talent. Sullivan focuses on the positive environment he can offer the players more than what the players have to offer UH.

“Recruiting is about building relationships. I work hard to really get to know recruits and am very honest about what we have to offer and what we’re looking for,” Sullivan said. “I try hard to meet and to get to know their families and try to relieve their fears about sending their 18-year-old daughters far away from home. I try to give our current players the best experience they can on and off the tennis court.”

He also works to maintain these relationships, and he said coaches who aren’t looking to build lifelong relationships are doing a disservice to their players. He said he believes maintaining these relationships is also good for the students because student-athletes will share their experiences with others on and off the court.

“I try to remember the reason why we’re here; to give these kids a good platform in life and to make them the ones that go out into the world and do great things. It’s a really rewarding part of the job,” Sullivan said.

This is Sullivan’s fourth time to take over a tennis program. This is the first time he has found a truly incredible group of girls with a great attitude and work ethic, he said.

Sullivan, who has a law degree, said coaching and recruiting is better than the alternative.

“I meant to practice law, but I got into this by accident, and I love it,” Sullivan said. “I try to remember days like today: It’s an awesome day, and I’m wearing shorts and a t-shirt and this is my job. I could be stuck in a courtroom, in a suit, dealing with bad people; but I’m here with great people.”

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Sophomore tennis player Elena Kordolaimi suffered a serious ankle injury that threatened her tennis career. UH tennis coach Patrick Sullivan offered her a scholarship without seeing her play. | Aisha Bouderdaben/The Daily Cougar

Head coach Patrick Sullivan met his star tennis player Elena Kordolaimi by chance.

While in Greece in 2011, Sullivan had plans to meet a different recruit when a Greece Davis Cup coach suggested Sullivan meet with Kordolaimi.

The coach said the girl Sullivan was going to meet was good, but who he really needed to see was Kordolaimi.

There was only one problem.

Kordolaimi was injured and unable to play due to a severe ankle injury, which had her thinking she may never play tennis again, but Sullivan still met with her.

Based on her positive attitude and the coaches’ word, Sullivan offered her a scholarship to play tennis for Stephen F. Austin in fall 2011.

The Greek coaches were right; Kordolaimi was a great player and a real asset to the team. Together, they led SFA to its first NCAA tournament berth and a 43-10 record — the best two-year period in the school’s history.

“It was something amazing. Not many people would do that, and I want to take advantage of the opportunity. That’s why I want to continue to play for him and do my best,” Kordolaimi said.

Kordolaimi, now a sophomore, is attempting to make her mark as a star tennis player in her second year in the U.S. and her first year with UH. She transferred from SFA so she could continue playing for Sullivan.

She said the transition from Greece to SFA to UH was beneficial. It gave her the opportunity to start off smaller and work her way up, which made it easier for her to handle the different systems and a larger university.

Like most students, college took some getting used to.

Kordolaimi said she loves campus and her teammates and is very grateful to be here. The support she gets from teammates, tutors, advisors and coaches provides a great environment and makes her job easy.

Sullivan saidKordolaimi has been a joy to coach because she works hard.

“A lot of kids don’t appreciate it, she does,” Sullivan said.

“She doesn’t take being out here and being able to play for granted. It’s great to have kids that appreciate; not everyone gets a full scholarship to a great place in order to do something they love.”

Kordolaimi hopes to continue to win tournaments here with Sullivan and go on to play professional tennis after graduation. AfterKordolaimi helped the Cougars to secure a national rank during her first season at UH, she’s off to a good start toward reaching her goals.

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“The place really recruits itself,” Sullivan said. Fresh after a 6-1 win against Texas State in the HEB Invitational, the Cougars picked up the sixth ranked recruiting class according to TennisRecruiting.net.

When recruiting, Sullivan’s key focuses are on work ethic, attitude and talent. More than what the players have to offer us, Sullivan focuses on the positive environment he can offer our players.

Head coach Patrick Sullivan first recruited sophomore Elena Kordolaimi to Stephen F. Austin. When he got the job as head tennis coach at UH, she transferred to play for Sullivan again. | Courtesy of UH Athletics

What makes head tennis coach Patrick Sullivan’s decision to come to UH unique is his history with Houston: It became his hometown after moving with his family from Argentina when he was 8 years old; he attended high school in Cypress; and his parents attended the University.

Sullivan has been on campus since the late 1980s early 1990s.

“I grew up going to the Astrodome watching the football teams,” Sullivan said. “My family is still here in town — my parents, my sisters and my brother-in-law. When I had the chance to be closer to them and be at a place that was really special to me, I jumped on it, and I was lucky enough that they gave me the job.”

Sullivan begins his second stint as a head coach after being called one of the top and upcoming coaches in the nation. After defeating his former school, No. 59 Stephen F. Austin, UH ranked 75th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, which is the program’s first time since March 28, 2006.

Taking a chance

Sullivan is known for his recruiting skills, which have aided in his coaching experiences. His star tennis player, freshman Elena Kordolaimi, who he recruited from Greece while coaching at Stephen F. Austin, transferred to UH when Sullivan was granted the new position.

“My coach was leaving and going to a bigger city and a new school, so I decided to go with him because he helped me a lot,” Kordolaimi said. “The fact that I trust the guy made me want to still play for him.”

Sullivan took a chance on Kordolaimi when he recruited her. A severe ankle injury had her thinking she may never play tennis again. Sullivan offered her a scholarship even though he never saw Kordolaimi play in person.

Kordolaimi said it was her mindset that made Sullivan take a leap of faith.

“I think it was my enthusiasm. That’s what he told me. The fact that I love tennis, I work really hard and enjoy what I’m doing,” Kordolaimi said. “That’s why he took the risk.”

While at SFA, Sullivan and Kordolaimi led the women’s tennis team to the NCAA tournament for the first time in the school’s history and accomplished a 43-10 record during his two-year run.

Past success

You have to work hard so that you deserve it. To deserve to win, you have to be the one that works the hardest and put yourself in the best position and make great choices, Sullivan said.

“I try to really encourage them to make great choices on the court and off the court — tennis-wise and personally. My goal is to have players that are really happy with their experience overall, not just ‘Hey we’ve got a great team’ or ‘We’ve got the best training staff and coaching’ but that they feel like they’re part of a family, they’re treated well on and off the court and that it was a really great life choice to come here,” Sullivan said.

SFA offered Sullivan support from administration, his assistant coach and the athletic director but was limited on its resources and funding — something Houston has been able to suffice. The team made a 3.6 overall GPA by using the acadmic center provided by the University, which Sullivan said was phenomenal and really unprecedented.

Recruiting Texas

“Hopefully in the future, this will become a place and program where Texas kids are excited to come to, but for now, we’re trying to make the program attractive for international kids and Texas kids, too,” Sullivan said. “Even though it’s really hard to compete with the budgets at Texas and Texas A&M, it’s a lot easier if you’re a little bit closer.”

Sullivan has coached for almost 10 years and began as a volunteer assistant at Texas A&M while attending school. He coached at Arkansas multiple times for four or five years, and at SMU.

Sullivan attributes a lot of his success from former bosses Tim Cass from Texas A&M and Michael Hegarty from Arkansas, who Sullivan said were great recruiters, allowing him to absorb their knowledge like a sponge.

“What I learned from both of those guys is that if you treat people well and you give them a great situation, then word spreads, and they tell their friends and so on. A lot of it is just having the initiative to go out there and meet people, to not be scared to travel, to go to places you haven’t been before and to experience some different cultures,” Sullivan said.

Junior Cecilia Frasier said she enjoys playing for Sullivan for the short amount of time he’s been at UH.

“He was enthusiastic about his job, and it looked like it was something that he really wanted to do. As a player, when you know your coach has good intention toward your team and cares, then you feel more enthusiastic about it,” Fraiser said.

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Sullivan, the UH tennis coach, will face the team he led last season. He coached two seasons at Stephen F. Austin, leading the Lumberjacks to the two greatest seasons in school history in terms of wins and winning percentage, compiling an overall record of 43-10.

Sullivan said knowing the talents and weaknesses of the opponent will give the Cougars an advantage against the Lumberjacks, who rank 59th in the nation.

“(They’re) a very good team that is close to my heart, but on the other hand, I know them pretty well having coached them, we’ll have a good game plan against them,” Sullivan said.

“It’s a big match for us: our first opportunity to play against a ranked team. It would be a huge win for us; Houston hasn’t won against a ranked team in a long time,” Sullivan said.

Senior tennis player Maja Kazimieruk said the group is ready to take on its first opponent of the season.

“We’re going to test ourselves; I feel that we are really ready for that match. We are working really hard now; I think we are all ready to play and win,” Kazimieruk said. “We’ll just try to play tough; play our game. We understand there’s a bit of pressure on us, but we’ll just play our best — that’s our game plan.”

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Since the signing, Kordolaimi competed in U.S. Open Women’s Sectional Qualifier in Arlington, where she won four matches before losing in the finals to Peggy Porter.

A trip to the U.S. Open was on the line for the rising sophomore. She began well, winning the first set 6-3, but lost the final two, 0-6 and 2-6.

Kordolaimi didn’t earn a trip to the Open but had an impressive showing by defeating Breanne Hesseltine of St. Edward’s, a Canadian junior ranked as high as No. 9 among all North American juniors in the class of 2013.

Kordolaimi began her college career last season as a standout freshman. She helped guide Stephen F. Austin to a No. 35 national ranking and a trip to the NCAA tournament. It was Stephen F. Austin’s first trip to the Big Dance in tennis.

Kordolaimi competed in the singles (23-9) and doubles (17-7) competitions, often-times playing at the top position.

— Christopher Shelton

According to Sullivan, despite attachment to his SFA team, who he led to a Southland Conference and tournament championship last season, coaching at UH has been a long-time aspiration.

“It’s a tough deal leaving a team, but as a coach, you understand that you probably won’t be at the same place forever,” Sullivan said. “When the job (here) opened I was really excited. I always thought it would be incredible to coach in Houston.”

From the age of seven until going off to college, Sullivan resided in Northwest Houston, where he continued to play tennis, something he had done since he could pick up a racket. Ten years of coaching and three team championship titles later, he returns to Houston to serve-up the University in the nation’s court.

“Patrick is one of the best coaches and recruiters in college tennis,” Auburn University women’s tennis head coach Lauren Meisner told UHCougars.com.  “His experience building nationally-ranked teams will bring an immediate impact to UH tennis.”

Sullivan’s plan of attack includes playing tougher competition and recruiting talented players from around the globe, a job which he finds rewarding beyond its tennis aspects.

“I get to find student athletes and give them a great opportunity to come continue (what) they love at a high level and at the same time, get a first-rate education,” Sullivan said. “It’s really rewarding to know I had a little bit to do with getting them on that path.”

Such a student is Greek native and sophomore Elena Kordolaimi, who transferred from SFA with Sullivan.

“I decided to transfer because he really helped me a lot, and he’s really looking out for the (players) in every step that we’re taking,” Kordolaimi said. “Because (of that and because) he’s helped me a lot tennis-wise, I had no reason to stay back there.”

As the season approaches, Sullivan prepares and makes his way through what he describes as the labyrinth leading to his office.

“I still have a hard time finding my locker room, but that is totally outweighed by how happy I am to be (here),” Sullivan said. “I’m excited to come back to my family and have my one-month-old daughter grow up in my hometown. It’s where I’m from. It’s where I want to be. Not many coaches can say that.”

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The Cougars enjoyed their eighth-straight winning season under head coach John Severance. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

Last week at the C-USA tournament UH tennis earned a win against Southern Mississippi State 4-0, to advance to the quarter-finals but lost to No. 53 Tulane 4-0, which snapped their five match win streak and ended Houston’s season.

“I thought we came out and played Southern Miss very well, and against Tulane doubles was very crucial,” head coach John Severance said.

“At the end of the day we were leading the third, fourth, and fifth positions and felt we could (have) won those games … We were tied at the leading doubles points and just couldn’t pull out the win.”

The Cougars finished the regular season 13-7, (14-8 overall), which included four close 4-3 losses.

“Our schedule was a lot more demanding this year than last year. Other than the 4 losses to ranked teams, we lost to very good schools most of the time 4-3 and it would have been nice to grab a few more wins, but overall I’m proud of what this team did this year.” Severance said.

UH is also losing seniors Giorgia Pozzan and Laura Ring who were enormous pieces to Houston’s success the past few seasons

“A lot of credit to Giorgia. She came here and was a leader and really helped the team compete, and Laura made the best of her second opportunity and enjoyed her season here,” Severance said.

Pozzan leaves with a career singles and doubles record of 98-38 and ranks third in program history with her win percentage while Ring has a doubles record of 34-12 in three years with Houston.

“Next season I only look for UH tennis to get better, we have a good team and we’ll make some additions but we’ll have to wait and see,” Severance said about next season.

“We knew we needed to win out to secure good seeding and that’s exactly what we did,” head coach John Severance said.

UH finished the regular season 13-7, its 10th straight winning season and eighth under Severance.

The Cougars will meet up with Southern Miss today in Memphis, Tenn.

The Cougars played a tougher schedule this season in a bid to claim a national ranking and it should pay dividends in the tournament.

“Going into the conference tournament, I think we’re a more disciplined team, we don’t make the same mistakes we did earlier in the season and have cut down on the errors,” Severance said.

“We’ve had a lot of close matches this season and sometimes the breaks didn’t go our way but we battled and that showed a lot about this team.”

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The Cougars have won their last four matches by a margin of 27-1.

In both weekend matches, the duo of Giorgia Pozzan and Celia Fraser won their doubles matches, and proceeded to win their singles matches as UH’s top-two seeds.

The Conference USA Tournament starts Thursday in Memphis.

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Maja Kazimieruk (right) is tied with Giorgia Pozzan for the team lead in singles wins with 11 this spring. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

The Cougars had their three-match win streak snapped by No. 31 Tulsa last weekend in a 7-0 contest to fall to 9-7 this spring.

“Looking back at it now, I don’t think we played poorly,” head coach John Severance said. “I think we played pretty good but we didn’t step up to the level of competition we knew we were going to face.

“We’re going to have to step our game up to compete at that level.”

Despite not earning a point during the contest, UH competed with nationally-ranked players.

“Ballstrike with ballstrike, we were right there with them,” Severance said. “I think they were a tad more disciplined.

“They had a bit more confidence and I think that’s where they beat us.”

In doubles, Bryony Hunter and Giorgia Pozzan almost came back against Tulsa’s 69th ranked doubles tandem, but lost while the duo of Laura Ring and Liselot Koenen were handed their second loss of the season. Singles saw Pozzan and Celia Fraser take 11-straight games off top-100 ranked players, while Maja Kazimieruk saw her six-match win streak snapped. UH only has a handful of matches left and Severance intends on winning out

“We just have to fine tune out game a bit and know that we have to win out in order to get a good seed in conference,” he said.

Despite the stiff competition, Kazimieruk’s play stood out. She is 11-4 this spring and has solidified the No. 5 and 5 positions for UH.

“She has played solid disciplined ball so far and im expecting her to jump up in the lineup a bit,” Severance said. “We really have to be solid at the four, five, six positions”

The Cougars play their home finale on Sunday against t UT-Pan American at the John E. Hoff courts.

On Thursday, the Cougars steamrolled Prairie View A&M in a 7-0 shutout and won a hotly contested 4-3 match against Texas State on Sunday to improve to 10-6 this spring.

The Prairie View match was a makeup of last week’s rained out contest and UH dominated in all aspects of play.

“It’s always nice to get a win over a Division-I opponent,” head coach John Severance said.

The Cougars were in control most of the afternoon as their top doubles pair of Giorgia Pozzan and Bryony Hunter came back from an early deficit to sweep their round.

Maja Kazimieruk and Charlotte Phillips continued their dominant singles play as the Cougars swept that round as well.

“We’re expecting a battle against Texas State on Sunday and we have to carry our momentum over against a team that has beaten some quality opponents this season,” Severance said of their next match

The result went down to the wire as UH ended the match on top with their seventh 4-3 result of the season. “I was thoroughly impressed with how we handled doubles today,” Severance said. “We trailed early at the top two positions but they battled through it which made the difference in the match.”

In doubles the pair of Giorgia Pozzan and Celia Fraser improved to 2-1 together, while Laura Ring and Liselot Koenen earned their seventh win of the season.

“In singles, Charlotte (Phillips) cleaned up her game a good bit and you can see how dominant she can be,” Severance said. “Bryony (Hunter) had a tough matchup, but put it all together in the third set and Maja continues to be dominant.”

Maja Kazirmieruk has come on strong as she stands with an 11-3 overall record after earning her sixth-straight victory on Sunday.

The Cougars take on No. 29 Tulsa at 10 a.m. Saturday at the John E. Hoff courts.

In their 14 matches this season, the Cougars are 2-4 in matches decided by one point. UH is 7-7 on the season after going 2-3 over spring break. Four of their five matches were decided by one point, the Cougars lost three of those four. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

Over spring break, the Cougars continued their quest for a national ranking with a string of five matches against Iowa State, Marquette, Idaho, Kansas and Bowling Green, going 2-3.

All three of the losses ended with in a heartbreaking 4-3 fashion.

“We were in all those matches against some really good programs,” head coach John Severance said.

“We weren’t at full strength and the breaks didn’t go our way”.

The Cougars hadn’t played in almost two weeks when their first match of the break against Iowa State came.

“Anytime you have that much time off, you’re going to have some rust,” Severance said.

“You have to keep that competitive edge and our first match back we ended up in a dogfight.”

UH then proceeded in dropping three straight close 4-3 decisions before coming up on top against Bowling Green, 5-2.

“I’ve never seen so many close matches in any season,” Severance said.

“It really has been a day-to-day season.”

Of 14 matches this season, six have ended 4-3 with the Cougars going 1-5 in those contests.

“Our new motto is no more 3-4 matches,” Severance said.

“During the season you’re  going to need a little bit of luck and have things go your way and so far it hasn’t happened.

“We need to improve on our serves and just cut down on mistakes in order to avoid those close calls, but overall we are competing well and just need to translate that into wins.”

The Cougars will try to get things rolling again at 3 p.m. as they make-up a match against Prairie View A&M at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts.

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Despite losing a close match against No. 58 Tulane to snap their five-match win streak a week ago, the Cougars intend to go on another tear as their quest for a national ranking continues.

One player that has come on strong during UH’s recent dominance is senior Laura Ring.

Ring, a doubles specialist, has gone 5-0 in doubles play while teamed up with freshmen Charlotte Phillips and Liselot Koenen.

When the spring season started, head coach John Severance noted that the team needed to improve in doubles play and brought in Ring after she took a year off to focus on academic to address that need.

“Laura is a great player and competitor,” Severance said. “She plays with great energy and is an animal at the net — she doesn’t stop.

“She really is seizing her second chance to play.”

Ring is enjoying her comeback and has become a vital part of the Cougars’ success.

“I believe that I bring energy to the team,” Ring said “ I really want to play and do well while helping the team win.”

Ring plays doubles exclusively. She said it is completely different game than singles.

“It is totally different in every way,” she said. “First off, you have a teammate right there cheering you on and you pump each other up, but you also have to communicate and work as a team.”

She has proven herself over the past month as she has helped make UH a force in doubles play.

Last week against Tulane, she and Liselot Koenen earned UH only win out of three hotly-contested doubles matches for Houston.

Ring started her collegiate tennis career at Texas Tech, but decided to transfer to play in Houston for Severance.

“I came here because I wanted to be a Cougar,” Ring said. “UH has the best fans, best facilities and I love my teammates.”

She feels that coming to Houston was the right decision.

“It’s great, I love my teammates,” she said. “We all get along and it gives you a chance to build lifelong friendships.”

Ring’s answer for wanting to play for Severance was simple.

“Because he’s the best — go Coogs.”

Despite taking a year off, Ring shows little signs of rust.

“I have played since I was around seven years old,” Ring said. “I love it.”

So far this season, Ring and her partners have found the perfect pre-match formula to produce wins.

“I just pump myself up, get ready mentally, I drink water and just listen to loud music,” she said.

“Me and my partner just pump each other up.”

The Cougars brought in Ring to help improve their doubles play as part of their larger goal to obtain a national ranking.

“My team goal is to get nationally ranked, and my personal goal is go undefeated,” Ring said.

Severance is confident that the Cougars can accomplish both of those goals and spur on another win streak — or as he put it, “kick butt.”

Laura Ring and the Cougars will be back in action at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the John E. Hoff courts as they take on Prairie View A&M.

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The Cougars’ weekend split against Southeastern Louisiana and Tulane leaves them at 5-3 for the season. Senior Giorgia Pozzan has played a large role in their success. Pozzan has racked up seven singles wins and four wins in doubles contests. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

UH’s five-match winning streak was snapped this weekend as it split a pair of matches.

The Cougars (5-3) played two away matches winning the first against Southeastern Louisiana, 7-0, and losing a heated contest against powerhouse Tulane, 5-2.

Head coach John Severance made clear his expectations for the team after the close battle with Tulane (9-1).

“From here on out we expect to win every match,” Severance said. “We have a chance to start another winning streak starting next week.”

The Cougar’s top doubles tandem of Giorgia Pozzan and Bryony Hunter started out with an 8-2 win to open play against Southeastern Lousiana (4-2), while the Liselot Koenen/Laura Ring combination clinched the doubles point for the Houston with an 8-3 win.

UH swept the singles event with Celia Fraser earning her fifth straight singles win 6-2, 6-1, while Maja Kazimieruk improved to 6-1 in singles play with a 6-2, 6-1 win.

“Today’s play was tough with windy conditions,” Severance said.

“We now have to focus on our first Conference USA match against Tulane tomorrow and we expect an extremely physical, mental and vocal match.”

Which is exactly what the Cougars got.

“I’m proud of the way we played, it was the closest and most emotional match we’ve played as a team,” Severance said of the 5-2 loss to Tulane.

“We came together and played our hearts out but didn’t come out with the result we wanted.”

The Cougars had lost the doubles event, but roared back in the singles event to almost pull out the upset. Pozzan and Bryony Hunter led the rally by winning their singles matches. Pozzan scored 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 which improved her record to 7-1 in singles play, while Hunter won her match 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

But the rally fell just short as the Cougars eventually lost.

“We couldn’t finish off points in doubles play, but we were in four matches in singles against a team that’s going to be nationally ranked,” Severance said.

The Cougars are off this  weekend, but play their next match at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts Mar. 7 against Prairie View A&M.

In the meantime, Severance said that the Cougars would continue to practice going into the match and he wants a rematch against the Cougars’ Conference USA rival.

“I hope to play Tulane again this season.”

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Junior Maja Kazimieruk sealed the 5-1 victory for the Cougars, taking out Sam Houston State’s Kayla Stevenson 6-1, 6-3. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

The Cougars’ winning ways continued Saturday.

UH extended its winning streak to four matches with an easy 5-1 decision over Sam Houston State in an indoors match at the Galleria Tennis and Athletic Club.

“I thought they would be the better team indoors,” head coach John Severance said. “I’m proud of the way we’ve responded lately and we’re playing good tennis right now.”

The Cougars have bounced back from an 0-2 start this season to win their last four matches by a 23-4 margin.

“We’re finally starting to come together as a team and do the stuff that we are capable of doing,” Severance said. “We’ve really cut down on the errors.”

The key ingredient to UH’s recent dominance has been its ability to dominate opponents 1-6, “top to bottom” as Severance put it.

“I don’t really think one player has taken off, but more our play has elevated from top to bottom,” he said.

Against the Bearkats, senior Giorgia Pozzan won the opener 6-2, 6-1 to record her fifth straight victory and improved to 5-1 overall in singles matches.

Sophomore Celia Fraser, the heroine of last week’s matches, won her match 6-1, 6-4 to record her fourth straight win and improved to 4-2 overall this spring.

Houston’s Bryony Hunter, Maja Kazimeriuk and Charlotte Phillips also won their matches continuing to make the case for a national ranking, which is coach Severance’s goal for the program this spring.

On Friday, UH looks to extend their winning streak against Southeastern Louisiana State, one of the top programs in the Southland Conference.

“We haven’t played them in two years and they are a strong program, but we expect to come out with the result we want after the match.” Coach Severance said of the upcoming contest.

The Cougars will be in action noon Friday in Hammond, La., before taking on Conference USA opponent Tulane on Saturday.

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Head coach John Severance had a good view for the Cougars’ latest successes. UH snuck past Northwestern State 4-3 on Saturday, and followed that with a 7-0 sweep of UTSA on Sunday. After opening the spring with two losses, the Cougars have bounced back to win their last three by tallies of 7-0, 4-3 and 7-0. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

After opening the season 0-2, the Cougars have won three straight matches with their latest wins coming this weekend against Northwestern State and UTSA.

The Cougars pulled out the win against Northwestern State in a close 4-3 win that went down to the wire Saturday, while rolling UTSA to the side in a 7-0 rout on Sunday.

“We came out sluggish in doubles but rebounded nicely in singles,” head coach John Severance said.

“The team showed a lot of effort and we’ll take the win.”

After the win on Saturday against the Lady Demons, Severance stressed the importance of winning doubles matches and the Cougars managed to take the doubles point despite the sluggish start.

The duo of Liselot Koenen and Laura Ring continued their success winning 8-3, building off last week’s win.

Sophomore Celia Fraser again engaged in an winner take-all bout against Tatiana Larina, clinching the match 6-2, 6-4.

The Cougars were dominant on Sunday against UTSA.

“We came out and played well in doubles and never really looked back,” Severance said.

“I’m really proud of the whole team today. It’s always good to get a 7-0 win.”

The doubles campaign ended with a 8-4 win by the Cougars’ top duo of Giorgia Pozzan and Bryony Hunter, who improved to 23-11 overall since the 2010-2011 season.

The Cougars managed to win all but one set in the singles contest which included a 6-0, 6-2 rout by freshman Liselot Koenen, who improved to 4-1 in singles play this spring season.

The Cougars (3-2) look to further make a statement for a national ranking as they take on Sam Houston State at 10 a.m. Saturday at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts.

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“I’m very pleased with the win today,” Head Coach John Severance said. “We were the more disciplined team and that’s how we have to play from here on out.

“Everyone had great attention spans and were very focused today.”

Senior Giorgia Pozzan and freshman Liselot Koenen continued their winning ways with Pozzan taking her match 6-1, 6-0 and Koenen winning 6-0, 6-3 to both stay undefeated this spring at 3-0.

“We didn’t commit the mistakes that we have in the past,” Severance said. “We have to continue to play this way against out tougher opponents.”

In doubles play, where Severance wanted see improvement, UH swept the Cowgirls, winning all three matches with senior Laura Ring playing her first match since the 2009-10 season.

One player that Severance spoke highly of in the fall was freshmen Charlotte Phillips of Nottinghamshire, England. Phillips picked up her first win of the spring against the Cowgirls (6-2, 6-2).

“Charlotte has a lot of talent and potential, and if she keeps improving she’ll be winning weekly,” Severance said.

Phillips decision to come to UH was an easy one.

“I loved the Houston atmosphere and felt at it was the best school for me academically,” she said.

“And the weather is good compared to England’s.”

Phillips’ goal, like the rest of the Cougars, is to achieve a national ranking.

“I just want to keep improving and help the team win, which will get us nationally ranked.

“I think I can help the team win and, by being left-handed, bring something different to the team.”

The Cougars hope to continue their strong play with a pair of home-weekend matches. They will take on Northwestern State at 10 a.m. Saturday and UTSA at noon Sunday at the John E. Hoff Tennis Courts.

“Northwestern and UTSA are two very good programs,” Severance said. “We’ll have to keep playing like we did this past weekend — focused with no errors.”

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Sneior Giorgia Pozzan earned victories in both singles and doubles play in UH’s 4-3 loss to Colorado on Saturday. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

The quest to earn a national ranking continued for the Cougars on Saturday against Colorado.

Coming off a loss to No. 6 Baylor last weekend, UH (0-2) looked to further make a statement, but fell in a 4-3 decision to the Buffaloes (2-2).

Things looked good early for the Cougars as they won the opening doubles round but unforced errors during the singles round would prove costly in the end.

“Anytime you lose 4-3 it’s going to be disappointing,” Head Coach John Severance said. “The fact that we blew so many opportunities and made unforced errors is going to haunt us. That was the deciding factor today.

“I made it clear to the team that they (Colorado) weren’t going to roll over and give it up. We have to capitalize on our overall-good play and can’t win when we commit so many errors.”

During the opening doubles round Charlotte Phillips and Maja Kazimieruk took their bout with an 8-3 decision while Giorgia Pozzan and Bryony Hunter won their match 8-6 to give UH an early lead.

During the singles round, freshman Liselot Koenen continued her strong play as she dominated her match 6-0, 6-2 to move to 2-0 in singles play this spring.

Senior Giorgia Pozzan also added another victory to her singles’ resume with a 6-3, 7-5 rout of CU’s Erin Sanders.

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Freshman Charlotte Phillips lost her first dual match 6-4, 6-2 to Megan Horter of Baylor after holding a 4-3 lead early in the match. | Catherine Lara/The Daily Cougar

The Cougars took on No. 6 Baylor on Saturday and lost 6-1 in their spring-season opener.

“I thought we competed very well,” head coach John Severance said. “We had opportunities to win more singles points against the sixth-ranked team in the country.

“We showed a lot of people there today that we’re a competitive bunch and it’s only a matter of time until we’re nationally ranked.”

Last week he cited the importance of being able to beat the nation’s top teams and next week the goal remains the same as UH takes on Colorado at 1 p.m. Saturday at the John E. Hoff courts.

The Buffaloes (1-1) plays in one the toughest tennis conferences in the nation — the Pac-12 — and UH hopes that a win will strengthen its argument for a national ranking.

Severance wasn’t happy about the loss to Baylor, but hoped it showed that they are capable of competing with high-level teams.

“I don’t  like losing, even to the number-six program in the nation,” Severance said. “We have to play well 100 percent of the time, playing well 90 percent of the time wont cut it.

“The team wasn’t upbeat about losing and I don’t want them to be, but they now know that can compete with the best.”

Senior Giorgia Pozzan took on  Baylor’s Diana Nakic, the 14th-ranked player in the nation, and lost a close 7-5, 7-5 singles match .

“She showed how much she wants to compete and win,” Severance said.

Freshmen Charlotte Phillips and Liselot Koenen also had strong performances against the Bears, but are not finished products.

“They have to keep improving and gaining experience,” Severance said.

The Cougars have goals for the season and they know how to achieve them.

“We want to be nationally ranked,” Severance said. “And have to now win against those good teams.”

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